ATMs at Amsterdam airport

(Long time lurker...........now actually going on trip..........nervous with lots of questions) I got my Capital One Master Card debit card today. I do not see any symbol of the "networks" I have read about. Which ATMs should I use at the airport, and also which ones should I avoid? thanks a lot

All ATMs will accept your card. You will just want to use a well-known major bank. ABN Amro is the one you will most likely find in the airport. Also in the Netherlands you will find ING Bank and Rabobank. These are all fine to use. The one that I would avoid would be Travelex. Although they look legit, I've heard that their ATMs give crappy exchange rates similar to their exchange booths. Maybe someone can correct me if I'm wrong. Be sure to call Capital One and tell them where you're going. Have fun.

You'll have no problems. The MasterCard symbol on the front is what counts. 99% of all ATMs you come across will accept MC debit cards. As mentioned ABN Ambro has the most machines in the airport. They have a unique feature that allows you to pick which denomination of bills you want. On a different note, be aware that both the ticket machines, and the ticket counters at the train stations in Holland do not accept our magnetic strip cards. You'll have to use cash for all transactions.

Alyne - congrats on taking the plunge. Have a great trip! I have a Capital One ATM card (albeit not a debit card) and have never had a problem using it at any bank's ATM machine. I did get stung (really bad exchange rate) at Heathrow airport using a Travelex ATM because I couldn't find any other ATM. But that is the only place (and only in the BA terminal) that I haven't easily found a "network" ATM. I just use whatever machine I find, easy as pie. If you don't see an ATM, just ask anyone who works at the airport and they'll point you in the right direction. And a tip - if you withdraw an odd amount - multiple of 20 instead of 50, you will get at least a couple of smaller bills. Not everyone will want to take a 50 or 100 euro note. And one caveat - Capital One usually goes offline for weekly maintenance in the wee hours of Sunday morning, which is midday in Europe. If the machine tells you that your account/bank is unavailable, don't panic. Just wait a couple of hours and try again. And BE SURE to let Cap One know of your travel plans before you leave - you can do that by phone or online. Otherwise, they are likely to freeze your account after your first overseas use - it's a bit of a hassle (long phone call) to get that removed.

Regarding the 100 euro note, I took advantage of a great exchange rate before leaving Australia a month ago, as we had to pay for our 3 nights in Amsterdam in cash 'up front' Most of the money was in 100 euro notes. Our B & B lady advised that 100 euro notes are viewed with suspicion in Amsterdam and to avoid getting them, if possible. Apparently there has been a spate of fraudlent 100 euro notes floating about.

In Schipol, I noticed some of the machines are really excahange bureaus disquised as ATM's. Look for the name of a bank on the machine to be sure you don't pay too much. Every machine I used in April offered me the option to convert currency for the transaction to dollars. Don't do it. As far as I know, the ATM bank will charge you something like a two percent conversion fee while your home bank will still charge you for the transaction. Just push "no" or "in Euros" to decline the option.